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Posted on 09/13/2010 3:11:44 PM PDT by NYer
VATICAN CITY, September 13, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - All legal recognition of "alternative" means of pursuing a family life, such as homosexual "marriage" and civil union laws, threatens to undermine the true model of marriage as the permanent bond of one man and one woman for the procreation of children, said Pope Benedict XVI on Monday.
The pontiff said that “the Church sees with concern the growing attempt to eliminate the Christian concept of marriage and family from the consciousness of society."
"The Church can not approve legislative initiatives involving a reappraisal of alternative models of married life and family. They contribute to the weakening of the principles of natural law and so the relativization of all legislation and also the confusion about values in society," said the pontiff in an address to the new German ambassador to the Holy See.
The pope said that, "Marriage is manifested as a lasting union of love between a man and a woman, which is also always oriented toward the transmission of human life," noting that such a bond "requires a certain maturity of the person and a fundamental social and existential attitude."
Benedict also took the occasion to exalt the centrality of human life, particularly frail and dependent human life, as something that "always has priority over anything else." "When once we begin to distinguish - and often this happens already in the womb - between life worthy and unworthy to live, any other stage of life will not be spared, much less the elderly and the infirm," he said.
The pontiff also criticized Christians who, rather than becoming "guarantors" of the faith "without compromise," "tend to show an overriding inclination towards more permissive religious convictions." For example, those who replace the personal, moral Christian God with a mysterious "supreme being" render null the conflict between good and evil, and so rob society of the impetus to constantly pursue the good: "If God does not have His own will, then good and bad end up being indistinguishable. ... Man thus loses the moral and spiritual energy necessary for the overall development of the person," he said.
As new relationships are developing in recent times between church and state, said Benedict, it is incumbent upon Christians to "follow this development in a positive and critical way, as well as to refine men's senses for the fundamental and continuing importance of Christianity in laying the groundwork to form the structures of our culture."
Click here for the original text (in Italian).
The Pope seeks to strengthen our society. Those who took oaths to support and defend our society work to destroy it.
Thank you.
Too bad so many in Catholics in America have been lured into the pro-Gay, Pro-Abortion camps.
Many are called; few are chosen.
“There will be a conflict as long as government is empowered to license marriage and thus dictate the terms of it.”
I agree, Pope Leo XIII saw that over a hundred years ago. The good thing is the Church is never going to change its teaching on marriage, it’s just a shame that the gov’t has the power to punish those who won’t accept its ever mutating definition of marriage.
Freegards
This is one of those points that pushes me to being more Libertarian. The government should license marriage and grant benefits such as lower taxes to the married couple. It's a contract that society benefits from and should encourage marriage and children.
Unfortunately, like you said, it gives the government power to now dictate terms of the contract. What to do?
You’re right. I can only speak for myself; I feel that the day the government decides to push the issue too hard (since they want to remake society), they are going to be quite surprised at the response the country gives them. It won’t be pleasant, but it will be appropriate.
“For example, those who replace the personal, moral Christian God with a mysterious “supreme being” render null the conflict between good and evil, and so rob society of the impetus to constantly pursue the good: “If God does not have His own will, then good and bad end up being indistinguishable. ... Man thus loses the moral and spiritual energy necessary for the overall development of the person,” he said.”
I think he’s referring to that “new-age” spiritual stuff that the likes of Oprah and other celebs push nowadays. He nails its flaw brilliantly here imo.
That’s not going to go over well with the heathens in London. They are just looking for more to be ticked off at for his visit. Good to see he’s not backing off to appease them on the eve of his trip.
Don’t forget birth certificates. Get the government out of that business too if you want to be consistent.
And death certificates. No government involvement in that, either.
Tell it, B16! God bless and keep this Pope.
And if parishes don’t comply, then what?
I haven’t heard a thing about the new translation of the Missal. I have the same question about that. If they don’t comply, then what?
they are going to be quite surprised at the response the country gives them.
Many faiths will never accept gubberement endorsed homosexualist “marriage”. However, I think many have been conditioned to think marriage comes from the state, which is exactly what the statists and homosexualists want people to think.
Freegards
Marriage is a legal contract that is enforced in court. Parents are forced to support children, etc. These are all things that make Western Civilization work.
Problems come from the federal government overstepping the Constitution and using the Courts to force changes on our culture. Marriage is an issue for the states. Your state can cancel marriage if it wants.
Not really, it is a Sacrament. It is offered between a Man and a Woman. It predates civilization.
Anthropologically, it is a compact between a man and woman. It was usually ratified by the community.
It did not start as a legal anything, and it is not a function of the Constitutional Federal Government.
I said, it’s an issue for the states. We’re talking government here, not religion.
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